Since the start of the new year, we’ve seen one of the USL Championship’s newcomers begin its official roster build, some notable incoming and intraleague transfers and free agent pickups from outside the league that could provide a notable boost for their respective clubs this season.

Here are 11 transactions that have occurred since the start of 2026 that could prove difference-makers as preseason kicks off for some clubs this week.

11. Brooklyn FC signs midfielder Peter Mangione

This week has seen Brooklyn FC roll out its first signings ahead of the club’s first foray into the USL Championship, and while the best-known name is that of New York native and veteran midfielder Tommy McNamara, one of the players that could have an immediate impact is fellow central midfielder Peter Mangione.

The 24-year-old joins BKFC off two good seasons at FC Cincinnati in MLS NEXT Pro where he recorded four goals and 10 assists in 56 regular season appearances, but it’s his ability to connect play and eye for goal that was apparent in college that stands out. Mangione recorded a +24.07 passing score per American Soccer Analysis’ data over the past two seasons and ranked in the Top 10 among central midfielders with a +7.64 Goals Added mark.

There are plenty more signings to come for Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc, but Mangione could be one of the club’s centerpieces this season.

• LEARN MORE: Watch John Morrissey’s Highlight Reel and Analysis on Bluesky

10. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC signs goalkeeper Nico Campuzano

With both starter Eric Dick and back-up Jacob Randolph having moved on this offseason, the defending title-holders were in need of a new face between the sticks. The first addition to the goalkeeper’s room is Nico Campuzano, who returns to the Steel City after a season at Monterey Bay FC that showed some positive signs early before tailing off as MBFC’s form dipped as well.

Through June 1, there was a case that Campuzano was the best goalkeeper in the league. At that point he had posted a league-leading 46 saves, a save percentage of 79.3% and a goals prevented mark of -3.12. The challenge was the workload the 27-year-old was being asked to carry – at that point, he’d recorded 14 saves more than any other goalkeeper in the league – proved unsustainable. By the end of the season, Campuzano still led the league with 84 saves but his save percentage had dropped by almost 12 percent (67.5%) and he sat at a +1.06 Goals Prevented mark.

Still, there’s potential there that the Hounds can capitalize on. With the solid defensive structure the side will look to maintain under new Head Coach Rob Vincent, Campuzano’s workload should lessen – to compare, Dick recorded 20 fewer saves in the regular season. That could allow Campuzano to maintain a more consistent output.

9. Monterey Bay FC signs midfielder Facundo Canete

Over the past two years, we’ve seen talent from MLS NEXT Pro jump into the USL Championship and make an immediate impact, with 2025 All-League selections MD Myers and Taylor Calheira two prime examples. While Facundo Canete plays a deeper role than those two forwards, his credentials from Carolina Core over the past two seasons make him a player to watch as Monterey Bay FC tries to push forward this season.

The 25-year-old arrives at Cardinale Stadium having recorded 20 goals and 12 assists in 54 appearances in MLSNP over the past two seasons, and while six of those goals came from the penalty spot, Canete’s all-around game could translate well to his new surroundings. In addition to his attacking numbers, he won 204 duels at a 55.3 percent success rate and made 154 recoveries during the past campaign. Over the past two seasons, he’s been the top ranked central midfielder in Goals Added at a +12.28 mark, which ranks ninth overall among outfield players.

Monterey Bay is undergoing changes this offseason. Signings like Canete could help turn the club in the right direction.

8. Loudoun United FC signs defender Ezra Armstrong

The past campaign was one to turn the page on quickly for Ezra Armstrong, whose early-season injury for North Carolina FC against the Charleston Battery at the end of March sidelined him for the rest of the campaign.

As other members of NCFC dispersed this offseason, though, it’s easy to forget how dynamic the left-sided wingback was while claiming USL Championship All-League honors in 2024, and why that could be a steal for Loudoun United as it rebuilds its squad under new Sporting Director Alen Marcina and Head Coach Anthony Limbrick. The 27-year-old recorded five goals and six assists in the 2024 campaign and ranked fifth in the league with 47 completed dribbles at a 48.5 percent success rate.

There’s always a caveat when a player comes back from injury, but Armstrong could be a strong addition to United’s lineup if he’s back to his best.

7. Sporting Club Jacksonville signs defender Mohamed Traore

As the club has begun to build out its roster for its first season in the USL Championship, Sporting Club Jacksonville has pulled from different areas. The addition of Mohamed Traore among three defensive additions is one that offers immediate experience at this level, but also the potential for growth after a campaign that saw the 23-year-old suffer injury setbacks that hampered his progress at Phoenix Rising FC.

Traore appeared on a positive trend with Phoenix as the side shifted to a younger lineup after its 2023 league title, and won 10 tackles at an 83.3 percent success rate in 389 minutes in the past campaign before injury shut his campaign down in June. The Senegal native has, however, already made more than 100 regular season appearances and logged more than 7,000 minutes of play in the league, having previously spent two seasons with Las Vegas Lights FC.

For a club looking to build chemistry quickly, Traore’s personality should be a positive for the side in the locker room as well in addition to the potential he could find another level on the field.

6. Rhode Island FC signs defender Nick Scardina

Over two seasons with Crown Legacy FC in MLS NEXT Pro, Nick Scardina showed plenty to earn his chance at top-flight action with Charlotte FC. The 24-year-old went on to log one assist in 15 appearances in Major League Soccer this past season but ultimately seemed to get caught up in the numbers game in the Queen City and saw his option declined.

Charlotte’s loss could very well be Rhode Island’s gain, though, as Scardina feels like the sort of player who can provide valuable attacking production in the club’s wingback system. Scardina recorded nine goals and eight assists in 41 appearances in MLSNP, putting up a +5.23 Goals Added mark in a little over 1,500 minutes in the 2024 campaign – still good for sixth among full backs despite logging far fewer minutes than the players above him. For an RIFC side in need of more attacking punch this season, Scardina’s presence on the right opposite Jojea Kwizera on the left offers big potential.

5. Miami FC signs forward Rodrigo Da Costa

In the USL Championship’s history there have been only five players record at least 55 goals and 30 assists in the regular season. One of them is Rodrigo Da Costa, who as he enters the eighth season of his career in the league might be one of the more overlooked attacking producers the Championship has seen.

 The 32-year-old’s move to Miami FC is a homecoming of sorts for the Brazilian, who played at NAIA school Florida National University before turning pro with FC Tulsa in 2019. Over the past campaign, his action was more limited with only two goals and one assist in 788 minutes for North Carolina FC, but Da Costa isn’t far removed from a remarkably productive 2023 season that saw him record 15 goals and four assists across time with the Scissortails and Memphis 901 FC.

Miami will be hoping he’s got plenty left in the tank, but with Da Costa sitting on 90 career goal contributions entering the season there should be motivation to reach a notable milestone that can help push Miami forward further.

4. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC sign forward Adrien Perez

There’s an interesting question when it comes to Adrien Perez – how do you define him positionally? As he joins Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC this offseason, he’s listed as a forward, but the versatility the 30-year-old has shown over the past three seasons at San Diego Loyal SC and Louisville City FC will give Head Coach Alan McCann flexibility as to how he employs Perez in the lineup.

You want scoring production? Perez can do that, putting up 10 goals for SD Loyal in the 2023 season. How about creativity? Perez can do that, recording seven assists alongside two goals for Louisville’s historic attack in the 2024 campaign. While he wasn’t a consistent starter at LouCity – logging only 2,177 minutes across two regular seasons – his productivity when on the field has seen him average a goal contribution every 172 minutes.

In a fluid attacking system, that could help the Switchbacks hit the back of the net with more consistency in the upcoming campaign.

3. Charleston Battery signs forward Miguel Berry

It’s been a busy week for the Battery with the addition of 2025 All-League First Team selection Sean Suber and the departure on loan of Juan David Torres to Peruvian top-flight team Club Sport Boys Association, but the most pressing need for the side has been to rebuild its attack. In experienced forward Miguel Berry, the Battery have a centerpiece around which returnees like Douglas Martinez Jr. and newcomers Wilmer Cabrera Jr. can work around.

Berry has been a consistent presence in Major League Soccer over recent years, but the numbers he put up while on loan with San Diego Loyal SC over both the 2020 and 2021 seasons offer an insight into his potential productivity in Charleston. The 6-foot-3 center forward logged five goals and three assists in only 867 minutes – a goal contribution every 108.4 minutes – and while that number might not be realistic for a full-time starter, it certainly illustrates Berry’s ability in the penalty area. Charleston has made a habit of picking off sharp signings over past three seasons, and this could be another.

2. Sacramento Republic FC acquires forward Mayele Malango

By the numbers, Monterey Bay FC was a markedly better team when Mayele Malango was in the starting lineup than when he wasn’t last season. While contributing five goals and two assists individually, Malango also helped MBFC to better marks in goals-per-90 minutes (1.1 to 0.7 when absent) and win percentage (28.6% to 18.8 when absent) when he was on the field at kickoff.

In terms of his overall numbers, too, Malango could be considered a little unfortunate. In his 1,275 minutes of action, he logged 3.74 Expected Assists, 23 chances created and five big chances created, only to end up with two helpers on the campaign. That, even with a shortage of minutes, saw the 28-year-old rank fourth among wingers in Goals Added with a +6.09 mark over the regular season.

It makes sense, then, that Sacramento Republic FC came calling to add the Malawi international as it looks to rebuild its attack after some key departures this offseason. Republic FC will be hoping Malango can log more minutes this campaign, but if he does it should result in a similar uptick in attacking production as he steps into a bigger spotlight.

1. Las Vegas Lights FC acquires midfielder Kyle Scott

When it comes to his big numbers, Kyle Scott isn’t going to blow you away. He’s logged only two goals and seven assists in 67 regular season appearances in the USL Championship previously, joining Orange County SC midway through the 2022 season before a mid-summer transfer last year to EFL League Two side Crawley Town.

What Scott does bring to the table – and the reason why Las Vegas Lights FC acquired him via transfer from Crawley – is the ability to set the tempo for a side in the center of midfield that can open all manner of opportunities for others. That was on display most readily in the 2024 campaign, where he accounted for 12.1 percent of OCSC’s touches when he was on the field, and logged a +35.99 Passing Score per American Soccer Analysis, good for sixth-highest among central midfielders over the past three seasons.

Scott might not have the same profile as someone like Taylor Davila or Aaron Molloy – whose attacking numbers have been more prolific over their time in the league – but in Head Coach Devin Rensing’s system he could prove a key piece to lifting the Lights back up the standings this year.

• READ MORE: Get a full breakdown of Scott’s game in John Morrissey’s Back Four